According to the latest research, a high level of cholesterol in the mother can be transmitted to the child and provoke serious cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, biochemical blood tests of expectant mothers are very important, they are carried out at least three times during pregnancy.

What is cholesterol and why is everyone afraid of it?.

Cholesterol is a natural fatty (lipophilic) alcohol contained in the cell membranes of all animal organisms. This, of course, is very scientific. If to simplify, cholesterol is one of the fats (lipids) that circulate in the blood. Despite its "villainous" image, cholesterol is vital: it participates in the "construction" of cells, regulates resistance to temperature changes, it helps to synthesize certain hormones and vitamins. The liver produces bile acids from cholesterol, which, entering the small intestine, participate in the digestion of fats. But to perform all these functions the body needs not so much cholesterol.

Chamber measures and weights The cholesterol level in the blood is measured either in mmol / l (millimole per liter) or in mg / dl (milligram per deciliter), the norm is total cholesterol get from the outside. How? Of course, from food. And then the most unpleasant thing begins: there are a lot of hearty, delicious, appetizing food around us. with a huge cholesterol content.

And cholesterol is different. It is caused, first of all, by the fact that it does not dissolve in water (hence, in blood), therefore, for transportation along the bloodstream, a carrier. As a taxi, "special" protein transporters work, the complex compound is generally called lipoprotein. Protein-transporters are high-molecular (HDL-lipoproteins of high density) and low-molecular (LDL-low-density lipoproteins). Here is where the notion of "bad" and "good" cholesterol appears. "Bad", or LDL, remains in the body, and specifically - on the inner walls of our long-suffering vessels, gradually it leads to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. The lumen for blood flow narrows, and because of insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients, the heart muscle suffers. But cholesterol, which contain high-density lipoproteins, is a "good" cholesterol, since it modestly performs its useful role in the body, and its excess is easily deduced. Total cholesterol - just the sum of all kinds of cholesterol, which are part of lipoproteins. If this indicator is too high, the doctor will recommend a detailed analysis: both for HDL and LDL.

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